Sabbatical Leave

Overview

A sabbatical leave of absence with compensation for a period of up to one year may be approved for tenured faculty members as determined by the appropriate dean, director, or vice president, and provost (USU Policy 3116). The purpose of sabbatical leave is to provide tenured faculty members with an opportunity to renew, update, and broaden their teaching, research, and professional skills and knowledge, which will enhance their contributions to the university and their profession.

Eligibility

To be eligible for sabbatical leave, faculty members must be employed at the university with the rank of instructor or higher for six years and must be tenured before the proposed leave begins. Upon return from a sabbatical leave, an additional 6 years of professional service to the university is required before beginning the next sabbatical leave. (For example, if your last sabbatical leave was academic year 2019-2020, the next sabbatical leave can be no sooner than academic year 2026-2027; if your last sabbatical leave was fall semester 2020 or calendar year 2020, the next sabbatical leave can begin no sooner than spring semester 2027 or calendar year 2027.)

Application Procedures

Submission Deadlines

February 14

For all sabbatical leaves requested for the following full academic year, the following full fiscal year, or the following fall semester, the submission deadline is February 14.

July 1

For all sabbatical leaves requested for the following full calendar year, or the following spring semester, the submission deadline is July 1.

6-Months Prior to Start Date of Leave

For all sabbatical leaves requested with other start dates, or for a shorter duration than a semester, the submission deadline is six months prior to the start of the leave.

How to Apply

Faculty may apply for sabbatical leave through ServiceNow by following the instructions below:

  1. Read and follow the instructions for each section and fill out all necessary fields on the form.
  2. Be sure to fill out all university-related travel, international travel, collaboration, and sponsored program questions that relates to your sabbatical. 
  3. Be sure to attach all necessary documents before submitting (proposal, CV, letters of invitation).
  4. Be sure to SUBMIT your proposal in ServiceNow.
  5. Contact the Office of the Provost & Executive Vice President at (435) 797-1840 with any questions about this form.

Applications for sabbatical leave planned for the following full fiscal or academic year must be reviewed and approved by academic unit administrators by July 1. As such, faculty are encouraged to begin the process in ServiceNow at least one week in advance. Applications for sabbatical leaves of shorter durations or with other begin dates must be submitted via ServiceNow to the Office of the Provost & Executive Vice President at least six months prior to the beginning of the proposed leave.

For more information on sabbatical leave, please contact:

Janis L. Boettinger
Senior Vice Provost
Phone: (435) 797-8176
Email: janis.boettinger@usu.edu